Winter squashes are excellent carbohydrate sources for women with PCOS. This fall salad is also packed with protein, fiber, and flavor.
Ingredients
For the roasted squash:
5 - 6 cups of your favorite winter squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1.5 tbsp olive oil
For the roasted chicken:
1.25 - 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tbsp fresh chopped sage or 1/2 tsp ground sage
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 c chicken broth
For the rest of the salad:
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 honeycrisp apples, chopped + a splash of lemon juice
1/2 c pumpkin seeds
For the mustard vinaigrette:
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and chop your winter squash of choice. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and spread over baking sheet. Roast for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until edges start to brown and squash is easily pierced with a fork.
In a baking dish, place the chicken breasts. Pour chicken broth over breasts and into the baking dish. (This will help keep the chicken moist!)
In a small bowl, mix the chicken herbs and spices. Sprinkle over breasts. Roast in the oven 30 - 40 minutes (depending on size) or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
While the squash and chicken are roasting, massage the kale with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil until leaves start to soften.
Toss chopped apples with lemon juice and add to the kale.
Sprinkle kale and apples with pumpkin seeds.
Mix together dressing ingredients.
Once cooked, top with roasted squash, chicken, and dressing. Mix to combine.
Serves 5
Notes
Winter squash options
I used honeynut squash for this recipe, which I found at my local farmers market. It’s delicious! Butternut squash or acorn squash would both work well here. You can often find butternut squash already peeled and cubed in the produce section, which saves a lot of time!
Pumpkin seeds
This salad is great with spiced pumpkin seeds! I used Somewhat Spicy pumpkin seeds by Superseedz. You could also use raw pumpkin seeds or a simple roasted and salted pumpkin seed. Don’t have pumpkin seeds on hand? Walnuts, almonds, or sliced avocado would also be great!
Protein substitutions
I actually wanted to make this salad with turkey breast, but I couldn’t find turkey breast cutlets at the grocery store this week. If you’ve got them, I think they’d make this salad feel even more like fall! You could also replace the chicken with tempeh and increase the seeds or add walnuts in addition to the seeds to make it plant-based while keeping the protein content high.
Additional toppings
Goat cheese, blueberries, avocado, and/or walnuts would all be great additions to this salad!
Nutrition
Calories: 369
Total fat: 16.1g
Total carbs: 31.2g
Total protein: 29.9g
Total fiber: 8.9g
Calcium: 14.1%
Potassium: 24.8%
Vitamin A: 328.5%
Vitamin C: 72%